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Merging of two independent diffracting shock waves

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Abstract

A preliminary experimental and numerical investigation into the interaction between two independent shock waves emerging perpendicular to each other into a common space is presented. It is arranged that two shock tubes have a common diffracting edge, so that the two waves arrive at the edge simultaneously. The shock Mach number was 1.31. The merging three-dimensional diffracting shocks reflect regularly off each other, but as they become more curved due to diffraction the angle between them changes and Mach reflection develops. L-shaped vortices are shed at the two free edges of each tube exit. As they meet, they merge and interact in a complex manner with each other.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Flow Research Unit, School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, PO WITS 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa

    B. W. Skews & J. J. Bentley

Authors
  1. B. W. Skews
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  2. J. J. Bentley
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to B. W. Skews.

Additional information

Communicated by A. Podlaskin.

This paper is based on work that was presented at the 21st International Symposium on Shock Interaction, Riga, Latvia, August 3–8, 2014.

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Skews, B.W., Bentley, J.J. Merging of two independent diffracting shock waves. Shock Waves 26, 327–331 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-016-0620-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-016-0620-9

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